Hose coupler



Feb. 26, 1935. E. A. RUSSELL HOSE COUPLER Filed Dec. 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l1 Imfen'tr Edy/07u04. 'zl/Sse/ M www rdf diz@

Feb. 26, 1935. E. A. RUSSELL HOSE COUPLER Filed Dec. 5, 1955 2 sheets-smeet 2 Patented Feb. 26', 17935 HOSE o'oUrLER Edward A. Russell, 0hicago, Ill.,y assignor to Vapor Car Heating Company, Inc., Chicago,

Ill., a Y corporation of i New York Application December 5', 1933, Serial No. 700.969

This invention relates to hose couplings for con necting together the hoses or other exible conduitstructures-steam or airbetween railway cars, and more particularly to the provision of improved means forlocking together the mating elements of such couplings.

It has been customary prior to this invention to provide hose'couplings with locking'devices to maintain `the coupler members in interlocked relation against the tendency to be rocked ontheir cams and disengaged by pulls onthe hoses when the train rounds a curve. Such locking'devices usually involve some form of wedgevaction, either positive or resilient, on the coupler arms to force them down and hold them in their interlocked engagement With cam lugs formed on'the mating couplermembers. Q y

Both classes of said locking devices present desirable and also undesirable features or locking eiTects. The locking devices embodyingpositive wedge elements are ordinarily efficient' locks, but the wedging pressure; especially as the locksare 4frequently driven into place by a hammer, is likely to fracture or otherwise injure the gaskets ofthe coupler members and also to distort the coupler arms in a manner to impairthe desired alignment of the coupler members. The character of locks embodying the resilient wedging ac' tion avoids the above noted objections but due to the `resilience of the'locking member the coupler members are likely to be'rocked on their cams and thereby automatically disengaged when subjected to abnormal pull thereon, for example, when the flexible joints of metallic conduits between the cars are made relatively stiff and unyielding by the high fluid pressure therein, or when forany reason, abnormal pulls are imposed on thehoses. The principal object of the present inventionv is to provide for hose couplings ofthe above character, anv improved lock which Will functionto exert a resilient' locking pressure on the mating coupler members during* normal service conditions so as to avoid injuring the-gaskets or other. parts of the coupler members and which will also Vvprof vide a rigid locking 'engagement of the couplers when the latter are subjected touforces tending to disconnect them while the locking elements, are moved totheir looking position. Y

A further object is to provide a locking device of the above characterin which the impositive locking eect is obtained by reasonk of the resilience of the locking b ar which isv movedinto locking position above the cam arm' of a mating couplingv member'and to provide in connection with said spring locking bar an auxiliary spring 'element serving to. hold the locking. bar inA its re-y leased position and providing also a resilient seat forthe locking bar during the first portion of its movement toward its locking position. v

A further and more speciiicl object "of the in, vention is'to provide a reinforced bridge con-4 struction overlying the locking bar,'the`reinforce ment oi the bridge'servingalso as an abutment for the lockingbarat a' location near the inner face of thelocking arm'of the mating coupler. s o as to prevent any substantial upward rocking move-l ment oi the cam arm ofthe mating coupler. Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the` detailed description of one embodiment of the invention. l

theaccompanying drawings: i Fig. 1 is a plan view offa'hose coupler provided with a looking device constructed .in accordance with` the present invention, said kcoupler being Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view throughr theA y hose coupler and'its locking device showing the locking bar -in its locking position. y L

Fig. 6 isa view similar to Fig. 5 but-showing the locking bar moved to its released position, `and Fig. 7 is a-vieW in perspective of the locking bar 0 .l

` The hose coupler embodying the present inventionis of the straight port or gravity typeA and isl designed to interloclzwith any of the various types. of gravity hose couplers now in general use for releasably connecting togetherthe steam train lines of adjacentrailway cars; Y t In Figs. l and 2V oi'thedrawings, the improved hoseA coupling designatedv generallyv by the refer-' ence letter A lis shown coupled with a Acoupler B ofjwell known construction. The improved coupler A may bendescribed generallyas consisting of a coupler head 10 adapted to be attached to the lower end 11 of a train pipe hose or other flexible conduit. The head isformed on one side with a cam lug l2 and'on' the other side with a forwardly projecting arm-13. The arm 13 and cam lug l2 of the improved coupler interlocks respectively with correspondingly shaped cam lugv 12a l `ing action between the couplers.

brought about accidentally by abnormal pullsson the hose, for example when the train is rounding;v a curve. The tendency which the pulls on the hoses have to disconnect the-couplersispresent particularly when the hoses. themselves are `rela-- tively stiff and unyielding, for example, when the hoses or the equivalent jointed metal conduits are made stiff by the high fluid pressure in the. conduits.

In order to avoid accidental disconnection of the hose.A oouDl$I.S,themating coupler elements have/been heretofore provid'edwithsome form of'locking means., I'rrthe old, forrn.. of coupler shownzin 1 and designated B, `the lock. consists of a link 15 pivoted inA a lugl ,and adapted to be driveninto tight, engagement. with an upstandin'glugl'lformed on coupler'head 10.. n

The locking mechanismr ofthe present.A invention` is constructedjo function normally as an impositivo. lock, butI includes arrangements whereby a slight accidental rocking. movement of the coupler` heads inadirection todisconnect them, immediately bringsinto play a rigid locke Thisrigid lock-l ing action continues .until the: stresses producing such rocking, movements of the couplers' .are relieved,4 whereupon the locking;` device-again. funef tionsasan impositive lock.,v Saidimproved locking device is positioned on thetop of the v.coupler A.,andincludes abracket 18 preferably inthe form of a bridge cast integral, withlthe coupler head. Alooking bar 19.4 preferablyformed of resilient. metal islintermediately, p ivoted, on a screw stud 20 whichextends`-. downwardly from the bracketl., The lockingbar 19 visillu'strated in, its inoperative position irrEig.v .3.. It-ismoved to, itsrO.pfative.l positionby swinging. it about its pivotal axis until the upturned end 21 moves into engagement, with, the upper edge portion 22 of the. mating-Coupler, arm-.1.3.1.1r- 'I'.heportionpf the locking bar adjacent theguplturned end is so formed-:that the. undersurface.23;.thereof has a general ,-wedge. yform so. that,it ,will .readily engage overftheupper edgesofmating coupler arms of varying heights. The other end of the locking barzl9., whilethebar movesto its locking position, bearsonasupporting surface 24'formed on the coupler headlO ataglocation remote from the pivotal axis of thelocking bar. The said supperting surface. isv preferably; iny the form. of a wedge cam so that movement of the end 25 ofthe bar thereover in the direction; of; the arrow-.- in Fig'. ll, exerts aV tilting:,pressuref4 on. the bar. which forcesthe end '21 of the bar, downwardly on the upper. edge., 22 of-the, mating. coupler arm113af. The end. of.the.locking.,bar whichrengages the Wedge cam 24 is providedwith a springgtongue26 adapted. to-snap over theendl 27. of themwedge cam, (Fig. 4) vto.holdthe. lockingbar; in its,lock ingposition. Thisend vof the-.barisalsobent downwardly from the plane-,of` the bar, as .shown 2112.28. to Vprovide asutable member adapted t0 be` struck witlia Whendriving-the 4lock: ingbar toitsifockineposition. A. resilientgmem:

ber 29, preferably in the form of a coil spring, is interposed between the locking bar 19 and the under surface of the bracket 18 to provide a resilient fulcrum for the locking bar. The coil spring 29 and the pivot stud 20 incline downwardly from the top portion of the bridge toward the wedge cam surface 24 of the coupler head 10 so that the spring 29 will exert downward pressure on the locking-bar at substantially right. anglesvto the plane of the bar when it is moved into locking engagement with mating coupler arms of varying heights. The coil spring 29 is preferably formed from-material having attened sides 30 so as to provide fiat bearing surfaces between the several coils ofjthespring when it is fully compressed. The-saidlspring-mernber is preferably of suicient lengthto press the locking bar 19 against the coupler headlo andhold it from accidental displacement when the bar is inactive, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings.

Vihen vdriving the locking bar from the position indicated in Figi 3 toward the locking position indicatedin Fig. 1, the initial movement. of the bar, compressesthe spring29 as the ends of the locking barare forced over the mating coupler arm 13a and the wedgecam24. After the spring 29 is fully. compressed, further. swinging. movementA of the. bar. 19. about. its, pivotal` axis.in,a direction vto' increase thelocking, effect, Aproduces an upward flexing,l offl the opposite end portions of* the locking. bar. The couplery heads are,there fore, held in. theirr normalA inter-locked relation bythe resilience of the lockingbar together,Y with thedownwardfforce,,exertedby' the. coil spring. 29. In order to ,convertil the above.Y normally. resilient locking action into. a positive. locking-. engage- Vment and thereby prevent disengagementofthe coupler head .when .they are subjectedto strains tending to roclr'them indirections to effect disengagement, the bridge' 18is yformed to. extend. to a position relatively close.'` to.v the, inner A face 31 of the mating coupler arm. 13a andis .formed also with a downwardly extended flange 32, which overiies thetop, surface of f the.y locking. barv 19. There is .but a slight clearancebetween,thel locking` bar 1,9 .andthe loweredge of the flangelof the. bridgeunder. normalfcondtions of service. Any. slightY rocking, movement of.Y the couplers. A and .Bf in a Q direction to disengage. them,l for ex-A amp1el abnormal pulls on theflexible conduits whenhtheV train is rounding.v a curve, movesgthe locking bar, into engagement with the..v lower edge portion-bf. thev ange 3 2. and thereby. prevents disengagementof the` coupler, heads.v The ,above construction oi the bracketor bridge18,.in acldition to, .providing an. .abutment for limiting upward movement of the. resilient-.bar4 19, provides also, additional strength and rigidity for the bridgeE member. y

It .will vbe ,apparent 4from the. abovedescription that the resilience. of the ,springI bar 19,tog,ether with the pressure exerted Aby thecoiled spring 29 will serve to force. the arm13arofV themating coupler downwardly. and .thereby bringy the .coupiers Aand B into. ,normalhorizontal alignment assoon as'the abnormallstrain tendingA toroek themav out of such ,aligrmn-:fntv lisrelieved Vand the said locking device thereafterfunctions as an im. positive or. resilient lock.

Whilethe invention,lfor -thepurpose of convenience,A hasr been4 illustrated 4in connection with one. speciiicv embodiment involvingtheuse of -a spring. locking bar, it` willsbe ,obvious that. the invention is. .not to .bel confined .to .such specific structureand that other modifications might4 .be

made without departure from the spirit of the invention. It will be therefore understood that the present invention contemplates all such changes in structure that come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hose coupler comprising a head and a projecting arm adapted to engage respectively with the projecting arm and head of a mating coupler, a locking bar pivotally supportedon said head and having a locking end movable into engagement with the arm of said mating coupler, means positioned between the intermediate portion of the locking bar and a part on the coupler head for exerting downward pression on the locking bar when said bar is in its locking position, and means on said head overlying the locking end portion of said bar in close proximity thereto at a location closely adjacent said mating coupler arm to provide an abutment for the locking end of said locking bar.

2. A hose coupler comprising a head and a projecting arm adapted to engage respectively with the projecting arm and head of a mating coupler, a spring locking bar intermediately pivoted on said head and movable into resilient locking engagement with said coupler head and the arm o1 said mating coupler, a resilient fulcrum for said locking bar comprising a coiled spring interposed between said bar and a part of the coupler head and adapted to limit the upward movement of said intermediate portion of the locking bar, and means on said'coupler head overlying i said locking bar but spaced therefrom at a location adjacent the arm of said mating coupler to limit the upward flexing of said locking bar.

A3. A hose coupler comprising a head and a projecting arm adapted to engage respectively with thearm and head of a mating coupler, a bracket formed on said coupler head, a pivot stud extending downwardly from said bracket, a locking bar pivoted on said stud and movable into engagement with a part of the coupler head and the arm of the mating coupler, a coiled spring interposed between said bar and said bracket adapted to be compressed by movement of said bar into its locking position, and means formed on said bracket which overlies said locking bar in close proximity to the arm of said mating coupler and adapted to limit upward movement of said locking bar.

. 25 EDWARD A. RUSSELL. 

